Literary agents who want high stakes writing
Phrasemill lists literary agents who want high stakes, based on what they say on their public websites. “high stakes” is a tone tag; its identifier is high-stakes. 45 agents currently want it. Agents whose websites say they are closed to submissions are omitted. The quoted evidence for each tag is on the agent's profile. How it works.
Agents (1–25 of 45)
I am omnivorous when it comes to reading and my list reflects this, encompassing a wide range of genres and styles. I am open to submissions and always hoping to hear from new writers. In terms of who they might be, my…
Jo really enjoys reading a strong voice in a story packed with passion and intrigue across adult crime, thrillers & suspense, contemporary romance, women’s fiction spanning commercial, literary, historical, and humour.…
Clare is building both the Darley Anderson Children’s Agency and the Darley Anderson Illustration Agency lists and also represents a boutique list of commercial adult fiction in both the UK and US. Clare’s very busy wit…
Jade represents a list of thriller, horror and book club authors. She represents a growing list of authors writing book club fiction, suspense, thrillers and horror. Since then, Jade has continued to build a dynamic li…
Rebeka is building a dynamic list specialising in commercial romance and romantasy, representing New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, Kindle, Apple Books, and Audible bestselling authors from around the world. As an…
I represent adult and YA romance, fantasy, crime & thriller. Across the board I am looking for hooky one-line pitches, compelling characters, and the kind of stories which turn into obsessions. I'm a fangirl at heart and…
I am obsessed with crime, thriller, and dark commercial fiction. Crime has been my go-to genre as a reader for as long as I can remember. As a student, I worked at Crime in Store bookshop in London, which only deepened m…
I have a broad list across different genres of fiction, alongside a smaller non-fiction and children’s book list, and I’m always looking for new and exciting projects. I love working on literary fiction and upmarket com…
Liv is a Director & Literary Agent specialising in literary, upmarket and book club fiction. She is always excited to discover bold, original voices from around the world. Liv is passionate about launching debut fiction…
Maddy is a Literary Agent specialising in SFF and romance Maddy joined Madeleine Milburn Agency in 2022 to build a list specialising in SFF and romance. Her list includes bestselling authors Lucy Jane Wood, Alexandra Ch…
I am actively building a list that spans middle grade, YA and crossover fiction across all genres and selective adult fiction in the SFF space. My taste skews more commercial than literary, and I love fiction with a dis…
Lisette is actively building a literary list with a strong focus on international clients for sale both to the UK and around the world. I’m especially looking for literary fiction and narrative non-fiction with great in…
She is actively acquiring and particularly looking for romance, fantasy and YA submissions. Anything rooted in contemporary Irish culture or folklore Romance from across the board: spicy, sweet, spine-tingling, breath-…
Lydia represents everything from picture books to the top end of crossover YA, and she particularly enjoyed working with author/illustrator talent, including graphic novelists. No matter the story, Lydia is drawn to voi…
Marisa will judge each story not just on the writing, but also with an eye toward finding creative stories with well developed plots and rich characters with unique voices. She is always hoping for stories with standout…
In nonfiction she is drawn to narrative and idea-driven work shaped by expansive curiosity, especially projects that render the hidden structures of the world more legible. Her areas of interest include science, technolo…
Christine is drawn to stories with high stakes and tension. The first pages must draw her in with action and curiosity. Lyrical writing, along with emotionality, physicality, and interiority, are all key components Chris…
Natascha is primarily looking for bold, emotional narratives with layered characters; lyrical and atmospheric writing; voicey genre-blending tales; big stakes; speculative worlds filled with haunting, quietly wondrous ma…
She appreciates novels with lyrical prose, high stakes, redemptive characters, and lush world building, and she always enjoys a classic romance trope (or three).
Young adult fiction: I am open to all genres of YA. I have a soft spot for layered, emotional contemporary, preferably with more than an ounce of humor; sophisticated and unusual SFF; and vivid, immersive historical fict…
The goal of her list is to increase the amount of queer and BIPOC joy in the world, and to make space for marginalized authors to rework the tropes that historically oppressed them. She is looking for strong commercial…
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